Weekly Words - Sep 1

Weekly Words 

September 1, 2022


We are Better Together!

A Message from our Administration

Our Island Creek Crocs had a wonderful second week of school and we loved welcoming our preschool students!  At Island Creek we are utilizing the Responsive Classroom format for Morning Meeting and Closing Circle to support students’ social-emotional learning, ensure a sense of belonging and establish  warm, accepting, respectful classroom communities. You may want to ask your child which Morning Meeting Greeting they enjoy the most. To learn more about Responsive Classroom, you may peruse www.responsiveclassroom.org.   

I have had the pleasure of reading a story to ALL of our school-age homeroom classes and your children were excellent listeners and great thinkers! The books I read (and highly recommend) include: Color Monster Goes To School, The World News More Purple People, After the Fall, and One Word for Kids.

Thank you for sharing your amazing children with us and please reach out if you have a question, suggestion or concern. We are Better Together!

Your Proud Administrative Team,

                      Jen Fallert                                    Karen Baxter
                JRFallert@fcps.edu                        KPBaxter@fcps.edu 
                        Principal                                   Assistant Principal


welcome back

diversity

At Island Creek We Celebrate Diversity 

We want to empower our Island Creek students to have a strong voice, share their experiences, and learn from, and celebrate, each other! We would love to hear from our Crocs about the various traditions, holidays, observances, and cultural experiences families celebrate or recognize.

During the month of September, we would like our students to recognize and learn about the following observances:

  • National Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15-October 15
  • Rosh Hashanah: September 25-27
  • Additional September observances or celebrations that your child would like to share

If your child is interested in recording a 1-2 minute segment for our Morning News Show please use this link: https://flip.com/2ec3a9bc as we would love to learn from them! Should you need additional information with recording, please contact Ms. Keaney, Librarian. Alternatively, if your child would prefer to make a poster to display in the hallways at Island Creek, please have them bring their poster to Ms. Fallert, Principal.


pop

Come Join us for Playground, Popsicles, and Principals 

Families are invited to meet and socialize with one another while joining Ms. Fallert, Principal, and Ms. Baxter, Assistant Principal, on the Playground!

Playground, Popsicles, Principals

Friday, September - 4:00- 5:00 PM 


Labor Day Weekend

Please note that next weekend will be a four-day weekend for all students and staff in FCPS. Schools and offices will be CLOSED Friday, September 2nd through Monday, September 5th in honor of Labor Day. School will reopen on Tuesday, September 6th at the regular time.


Ordering Student Photos

Parents who would like to pre-order their student's individual photos from LifeTouch can do so online using the Picture Day ID: EVTBSVWC3.

Photo proofs usually take 2-3 weeks to process for viewing; pictures can still be purchased at this time. If you have any questions about ordering photos, LifeTouch customer service can be reached at 1-800-736-4753. 


pe teachers

Meet our Staff

Island Creek would like to welcome our new staff members and introduce them to the community through our 'about me' page. 

This week we are welcoming: Linsey Barber & Joe Magagnoli (PE Teachers), Allison Rozycki (Art Teacher), and Joyce Morris (Kindergarten IA).  

teachers

Arrival and Dismissal Reminders

To ensure a safe arrival dismissal for every student, please follow these guidelines:

  • Walkers – Door 1
  • Families who park their vehicle and walk – Door 1
  • Kiss & Ride – Door 2; please ensure that your car pass is displayed in your rear-view mirror and that your child enters/exits on the passenger side. Our patrols and staff will open/close your car door; however, are unable to support with seatbelts.
  • Back Gate – the back gate will be unlocked before and after school
  • Bus Loop – vehicles should not access the bus loop from 8:15-8:35 or 3:15 until at least 3:35 when the last school-age bus has boarded.
  • Bus Transportation- During the first few weeks of schools, FCPS Transportation is fine-tuning routes and buses may be running behind.

Upcoming Assessments

The Virginia Department of Education and Fairfax County Public Schools require a number of screeners and assessments be given at the beginning of the school year to aid in designing instruction to fit the needs of our students and track growth over the year. We have several testing windows quickly approaching and have links here for parents to learn more about each.

iReady Universal Screener (Reading and Math) and Developmental Spelling Analysis - Grades 1-6

Virginia Growth Assessment (Reading and Math) Grades 3-6

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) ScreenerGrades K-6

Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP)Kindergarten only

Information will also be included in class newsletters and/or separate eNotify emails. Please be on the look-out for these communications.

Please contact your child’s teacher, or the School Testing Coordinator, Mark Moran, at mjmoran@fcps.edu with any questions.


Student Rights & Responsibilities (SR&R)

At the start of each school year, you are asked to sign to acknowledge your review of the Student Rights & Responsibilities (SR&R) document

Please log on to your SIS ParentVue account and sign to acknowledge review of this document or sign and return the Signature Sheet to you child’s school by September 30, 2022.


Parental Consent for Select Digital Resources

At Island Creek Elementary School, our teachers will use a variety of digital resources to support student learning. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. You can find our school’s list of the resources that require parental consent here: Digital Resources at Island Creek - Parent Consent.

Included on this page is also a link to the Application Permission Form where the enrolling parent or guardian will need to indicate whether or not their student is allowed to use the list of digital resources this year. This page also provides more information about how FCPS carefully reviews digital resources for approval and why we must request your consent before using certain tools. We encourage you to complete the parental consent for digital resources form as soon as possible, as your child will not be able to use the digital resources until we have received your permission.


Parent Information Lines

Parents who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese can call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their children's schools due to a language barrier.

parent info lines

Safety Drills During the School Year

Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance. The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill. Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Here are some helpful tips for families to use to support their students before and after school lockdown drills


Attendance

Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow! The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance web page for tips and strategies


Community Conversations with the New Superintendent Coming to Hayfield and Edison Next Month!

Please save the date for two very special events! Dr. Michelle Reid, FCPS superintendent, will host a Community Conversation at both Hayfield Secondary School and Edison High School in September.

The Hayfield session will be held on Monday, September 12th, and the Edison session will be held on Wednesday, September 14th. The time for both will be 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

This event will be a unique opportunity to help Dr. Reid get to know our school community and learn more about her vision for our district. Language interpretation will be provided, as available, as well as child care and light refreshments.

Register to attend the Hayfield Community Conversation here.

Register to attend the Edison Community Conversation here.


upcoming events

Click to view the 2022-2023 FCPS School Calendar

  • Labor Day School Holiday - September 2-5
  • Student Picture Days – Thursday, 9/8 and Friday, 9/9
  • Playground, Popsicles, Principals – Friday, 9/9, 4:00-5:00
  • PTA Meeting – Tuesday, 9/13, 7:00
  • Croc Fun Run – Friday, 9/30

PTA News


Membership Drive Update

We are so close to reaching our first goal. We are currently at 150 members. When we get 200 members, we will have a crazy sock day at Island Creek! Join today at https://ices.memberhub.com/store! Enroll the whole family! Let's feed the hungry croc! 

Croc Rock-N-Run

Information for the Croc Rock-N-Run will be shared with parents next week in their student's Thursday Folder, from their teacher, and via the PTA! We hope you'll be as excited as we are about this event! 

croc n run